S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 5: Chapter 17

The Doppelganger Killer 17 - The Madman

At dinnertime, Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao brought Luo Yang along, with Yangyang holding onto Bai Chi's hand, as the four of them appeared before a restaurant not far from the police station. Just as they stepped inside, they spotted Gongsun and Bai Jingtang sitting by the window.

Gongsun waved to the four of them, and they walked over to join tables and have dinner together.

Yangyang took a seat next to Zhan Zhao, and when he raised his head, he happened to see Bai Jingtang sitting opposite him, studying him closely. Yangyang locked eyes with him for a moment before turning his head to look at Bai Yutang beside him, thinking to himself that these two looked rather alike.

Bai Yutang was busy ordering dishes and didn't pay attention, but Bai Jingtang spoke up, asking Zhan Zhao, "So this is the kid?"

Zhan Zhao patted Yangyang's head and said, "Yes, his name is Luo Yang."

"Oh~~~" Bai Jingtang nodded. Seeing Luo Yang glance back and forth between him and Bai Yutang with a hint of puzzlement in his eyes, he smiled and asked, "What? We look alike?"

Luo Yang nodded honestly.

"I'm his oldest brother." With that, Bai Jingtang gave his chin a slight tilt toward Bai Chi. "This one is the third brother, though he's a cousin."

Luo Yang's mouth dropped open as he turned his head to stare at Bai Chi with a gaze that looked as though he were witnessing some kind of miracle, leaving Bai Chi feeling rather depressed.

Noticing that Bai Chi kept checking his phone from time to time, Zhan Zhao asked, "What is it? Did you make plans with Zhao Zhen?"

Bai Chi nodded. "He was going to have dinner, so I asked him to come over." As he spoke, they saw Zhao Zhen strolling leisurely into the restaurant from outside. Bai Yutang and Zhao Zhen, having finished ordering, exchanged glances; the two of them currently carried a bit of psychological trauma, seeing the shadow of Zhaojue in Zhao Zhen no matter how they looked at him.

After coming in, Zhao Zhen exchanged greetings with everyone, sat down beside Bai Chi, and likewise raised his eyes to examine Luo Yang.

Yangyang looked left and right, discovering that everyone was staring at him, and began to feel a bit self-conscious.

Zhao Zhen suddenly looked up at Bai Yutang and said, "When I came in, I saw a car parked at the entrance. The person inside seemed extremely interested in someone among you."

Everyone was taken aback. Bai Yutang smiled and asked, "What did that person look like?"

Zhao Zhen thought for a moment. "A foreigner, long hair, wearing a floral shirt—a very tasteless type."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao exchanged glances, understanding immediately. With that kind of signature attire, it was bound to be Eugene.

Bai Jingtang pulled out his phone, exchanged a few brief words with the twins, and then gestured for everyone to ignore it and continue eating.

Zhan Zhao asked with a hint of surprise, "Big Brother, you know Eugene?"

Bai Jingtang paused, turning his gaze to Bai Yutang. "He has crossed paths with you guys?"

"Yeah," Bai Yutang smiled. "We had a couple of 'coincidental' encounters. Do you know him?"

Bai Jingtang shot him a glare. "Cut the act. If you want to ask something, just ask."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao exchanged glances and turned to look at Bai Jingtang in unison. "Who is he?"

Gently setting down his wine glass, Bai Jingtang spoke in a leisurely tone, "Eugene is Leonard's subordinate, a high-ranking boss in the Mafia."

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were left momentarily speechless. They had long guessed that Eugene wasn't ordinary, but this identity was still somewhat unexpected. On the other hand, Zhao Zhen muttered to himself with a fair bit of surprise, "Is this kind of fashion sense popular among the Mafia nowadays?"

Sitting in the car parked at the entrance of the restaurant was none other than Eugene. At that moment, he was slumped over the steering wheel, sighing heavily. He felt his career had truly hit rock bottom—he actually had to spend twenty-four hours straight monitoring a kid. Fortunately, that child now belonged to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, so while watching the kid, he could at least eye some handsome men; it was still much better than babysitting a bunch of third-rate thugs like before.

Yet doubt still lingered in his mind: why was that mysterious Zhaojue attaching such heavy importance to some unrelated kid? He had even demanded that Eugene keep a strict watch over the boy's safety. Hopefully, the man wasn't just playing games with him.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, he heard two sharp "thuds" tap against his car window. Eugene turned his head and instantly lit up with joy—he recognized the visitor.

Rolling down the window, Eugene stared at the two figures standing by the car door with a full smile. "Yo, it's the twins."

Ding Zhaolan and Ding Zhaohui stood by the car, looking at Eugene with eyes full of calculated schemes.

Xiao Ding rubbed his chin and said, "What brings you running over here? Can't survive in Italy anymore?"

Da Ding patted Xiao Ding's shoulder. "Look, this is a textbook negative example. What kind of Mafia boss would keep a head of cauliflower around to flaunt everywhere?"

"True enough." Xiao Ding continued roasting Eugene. "And he's got a cockroach haircut, too."

Eugene wore a look of utter helplessness, shrugged, and said, "I'm not here to cause trouble for Bai, you guys don't need to be on guard against me."

Da Ding clicked his tongue twice, wagging a single finger. "Right now, the boss is the one about to cause trouble for you."

Xiao Ding nodded. "You're interfering with someone's family dinner. The boss says if you don't leave right now, he'll toss you into the Pacific Ocean to feed the fish."

Eugene sighed, waving his hand. "Okay, I'm leaving. But please do me a favor and tell Bai to watch his back." With that, he started up the car and drove off toward a nightlife club to grab a drink.

Da Ding looked at Xiao Ding. "There are three Bais inside—which one are we supposed to tell?"

After dinner, the group dispersed, each heading back home. Luo Yang wanted to return to his place, but Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao stopped him. Whether Chen Jie and her associates were connected to this case couldn't be determined just yet, and leaving a child like Luo Yang back there alone was far too dangerous, so the two of them decided to take Yangyang home with them.

As the car drove along the road, Luo Yang suddenly asked, "What about my schooling? I skipped school today anyway."

Zhan Zhao smiled. "Going to school right now is too dangerous. You need to stick closely with us for the next few days. Once the case is solved and things settle down, we'll arrange a school for you."

"Oh..." Luo Yang nodded, leaning over the back of their seats to look left at Bai Yutang and right at Zhan Zhao, before finally blurting out, "Do you two live together? Are you brothers?"

"Cough..." Zhan Zhao gave Bai Yutang a look that was equal parts awkward and warning—don't you dare talk nonsense!

Bai Yutang nodded—I understand. He then looked into the rearview mirror and told Luo Yang, "Not brothers. We're a couple."

Zhan Zhao's face turned stark white as he glared at Bai Yutang—Yangyang is a child!

Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow—Even if he's a kid, he's still male. What if he tries to steal you from me? Better nip that thought in the bud right now!

Luo Yang didn't seem particularly surprised; he just smiled and said, "I figured as much."

Zhan Zhao widened his eyes and turned back to look at him, only to see Luo Yang tilting his head. "Aunt Chen said that good men all like men."

"Cough cough..." Bai Yutang held back his laughter. Zhan Zhao wondered what kind of bizarre nonsense Chen Jie had been feeding the child, resolving that he must find time to correct Yangyang's erroneous worldview.

"Yangyang, does Chen Jie treat you well?" Bai Yutang asked casually, while Zhan Zhao monitored Yangyang's facial expressions in the rearview mirror.

"Um..." Yangyang hesitated slightly before nodding. "Good."

"Does Uncle Big Beard treat you well, too?" Zhan Zhao followed up with another question.

"He's great~~" Yangyang answered without a second thought, his face lighting up with genuine joy.

Seeing Yangyang's reaction, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged glances. There was clearly more to the story here.

"What about us? Do you like us?" Zhan Zhao turned back to ask.

Luo Yang nodded readily. "I like you."

"And Chen Jie?" Zhan Zhao pressed further.

Luo Yang fell silent, pondering for a good while before saying, "I like Uncle Weiyong more. It's just that anyone who treats Yangyang well always dies young."

"Is there a difference between Chen Jie and Weiyong?" Zhan Zhao picked up on the underlying issue. Ordinarily, a boy of this age—especially one without a mother—should naturally feel close to an older woman like Chen Jie. Moreover, according to Chen Jie's own words, she treated Yangyang well. So why did Luo Yang seem somewhat guarded against her?

"The feeling is different." Luo Yang tilted his head in thought. "Dad taught me that to tell if someone genuinely cares about you, you have to look at whether their eyes are focused entirely on you when they show concern. If someone is talking to you, but their gaze is fixed on something else, it means they have an ulterior motive. You have to guard against people like that. I feel like Aunt Chen is always like that."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were quite astonished. The trick Luo Wen had previously taught the gift shop girl to spot police officers, coupled with this method he taught Luo Yang for distinguishing good from evil—it clearly indicated that Luo Wen was an extraordinary individual. How could such a brilliant man end up dying in such an obscure and unclear manner?

Inside a nightclub on S-City's bar street, Eugene was holding a glass of wine and chatting with a few hot-bodied young women when someone stepped up behind him and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

Eugene turned to look at the person who had just sat down beside him and broke into a radiant smile.

"How come you didn't give a heads-up when you arrived?" The newcomer asked the bartender for a drink. "I could've arranged for someone to host you properly."

"Ha..." Eugene downed the wine in his glass in one gulp. "What makes you sound like the master of the house? Aren't you just passing through like me, number two boss Tabor?"

Sitting opposite Eugene was none other than Tabor. Sipping his drink, he didn't grow angry at Eugene's banter, instead chatting casually. "I never expected Leonard to take an interest in this place as well?"

Eugene blinked. "What place? Besides, I'm just here for fun. What does that have to do with my big boss?"

"Then why are you keeping an eye on my property? You're putting me in a difficult spot." Tabor gently tapped his glass with a single finger.

Eugene chuckled, staring up and down at Tabor with a gaze tinged with amusement as he said in a low voice, "Who's staring at your property? I'm not interested in older men." With that, he grabbed another glass of wine, wrapped an arm around a beauty beside him, and walked away.

Tabor's smile vanished as he finished off his drink. One of his subordinates stepped up beside him. "Boss, should we take care of this guy?"

Tabor gave him an amused look. "Take care of him? With just the few of you?"

The subordinates looked at one another, and one of them mustered the courage to say, "We could let that madman..."

Tabor shot him a warning glance, and the subordinate immediately swallowed the rest of his words. Twirling the glass in his hand and watching the lights reflect off the ice cubes, Tabor said coldly, "Eugene is not someone to mess with. Try to avoid crossing Leonard's people... By the way, where is that madman?"

"Uh..." The subordinates exchanged glances. "He went to visit his older brother."

"Nutcase!" Tabor set his glass down sharply on the table. "Keep a close eye on him and don't let him stir up any trouble. Those two cops are not to be trifled with, and Ouyang is here too. We have to wrap things up as quickly as possible and get out early."

"We understand," the subordinates nodded. Tabor turned to leave, but the moment he turned his head, he caught sight of someone standing in a distant corner watching him. Dressed entirely in white with long, flowing hair, the fleeting moment their eyes met allowed Tabor to clearly make out that familiar face and the slight sneer playing at the corner of the lips. He froze in sheer shock. When he came to his senses and looked again, the person had vanished into thin air.

Tabor strode quickly toward that corner. The bar was packed and the lighting was dim; by the time Tabor reached the spot, there was no one in sight, causing him to furrow his brow. He was certain he hadn't seen wrong—could he be hallucinating from drinking too much? As the thought registered, a chill began creeping up his spine. Why? That person... why was he still alive? He should have died twenty years ago! Moreover, he hadn't seen him clearly just then, but it felt as though he hadn't aged a day. Was he really seeing a ghost in broad daylight?

Parking the car inside the underground garage, Bai Yutang unbuckled his seatbelt. Zhan Zhao turned back to tell Yangyang, "We've arrived."

Yangyang looked around the garage with curiosity and was about to get out when Bai Yutang softly uttered, "Nobody move."

Startled, Zhan Zhao and Luo Yang watched as Bai Yutang raised his eyes to check the rearview mirror. Following his gaze, they were stunned to see a figure standing less than ten meters behind their car—dressed entirely in black with unkempt hair and a long, bushy beard, it was shockingly the exact same man who had collided with Bai Yutang outside the gymnasium. He stood there motionlessly, his eyes locked intently onto their car with a faint smile plastered across his face.

"Yangyang, come here." Bai Yutang reclined his seat back, allowing Luo Yang to crawl through the gap into the front seat. Pulling the seat back upright, he told Luo Yang and Zhan Zhao, "Stay down in front of the seat backs and don't move." With that, he opened the car door and stepped out.

Zhan Zhao felt a wave of anxiety. "Bai, be careful."

"Don't worry." Bai Yutang drew his firearm, gripped it tightly, and stepped out of the vehicle, walking slowly toward the man.

The stranger's appearance was remarkably similar to the bearded man, except the smile on his face carried a deeply unsettling vibe.

Seeing Bai Yutang step out of the car, the man shifted his focus directly onto him, staring unblinkingly as Bai Yutang approached. His eyes were wide open, and he muttered incessantly under his breath: "White... white, so pretty... white."

Bai Yutang frowned slightly, stopping about five paces away from him. "-1-11?"

Upon hearing Bai Yutang's question, the man didn't display the intense reaction the bearded man had shown; he didn't seem to understand the meaning of those numbers at all, simply continuing his incoherent ramblings about "white, black..."

"Who are you looking for?" Bai Yutang asked, noticing that the man's eyes kept drifting toward the direction of the car.

"Looking for... older brother... looking for my older brother..." the man babbled as he pointed toward the vehicle.

Bai Yutang was completely baffled, assuming the man was looking for Zhan Zhao. However, from the angle where Zhan Zhao was seated, he could see clearly that the man wasn't pointing at him at all... but at Luo Yang!